British couple's war child mission

The Bendor-Samuels are answering a call from a pastor in Sierra Leone

A British couple are travelling to Africa to help run a sports camp for child victims of war after an appeal from a local vicar.

David and Sarah Bendor-Samuel decided to make the trip after their church was contacted by Yatta Samura, a pastor from Freetown in Sierra Leone.

David, who is manager of St Andrews Church in Oxford, is to coach hundreds of children at the week-long camp, many of whom have been orphaned, injured or traumatised in recent fighting.

Meanwhile, Sarah, a nurse, hopes to give healthcare advice during the trip to Freetown and the nearby village of Kono.

Villagers in Kono founded an Anglican church called St Andrews after an earlier delegation from the Oxford church.

Now they want to set up a village school and call it Oxford.

Chelsea match

The couple have so far raised £12,000 and hope to raise more by auctioning three executive tickets to Sunday's Chelsea v Manchester United match at Stamford Bridge.

They also hope to take footballs and other sports kit with them when they set off on 10 December and are to visit a children's centre in Freetown run by another Oxfordshire-based charity, Action for Children in Conflict.

Sierra Leone, which has a population of five million, emerged last year from a decade of civil war.

Mr Bendor-Samuel said: "My job is two-fold - first to provide encouragement and help where I can and second to do sports coaching with the kids.

"We hope this will be a ministry that heals and brings people together - sport does that."

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Anyone interested in making a donation or bidding for the Chelsea v Manchester United tickets can call St. Andrews Church on 01865 311 212.